TV Dramas Unhelpful and Misleading Portrayal Of Mental Illness

I was interested to see a piece in 'Therapy Today', the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's professional journal, yesterday complaining about the way fictional characters with mental health problems are portrayed on television.  Having just seen the second part of BBC's 'Silent Witness' a couple of nights before, I was already fuming about this very topic!

Did any of you see it?  If you did, you will know that the subject of depression was fairly central to the storyline and the use of SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors is the name given to a group of antidepressant medicines) in particular was featured heavily.  What annoyed me was the link that was made between the use of these drugs, commonly prescribed to people suffering from depression or anxiety, and  extremely violent behaviour.  Many people could have got the impression that taking SSRI medication was a very dangerous thing for them, or a loved one, to do and this may well have made people stop taking such medication if they were already using it, or prevent them from starting to take it in the first place.  Indeed Nicky, the pathologist in the programme who was diagnosed with depression in this episode, is shown to choose not to take the SSRI she has been prescribed and the implication is that her decision has been influenced by the behaviour of another character in the storyline who had taken SSRI's and murdered several people.

While all medication carries the risk of side-effects, I felt the way 'Silent Witness' exagerrated this link was completely irresponsible and misleading, and further fuelled the stigma associated with any mental health issues.  A report by Shift, the campaign t0 tackle this stigma, says 45% of fictional characters suffering from mental health problems are depicted as violent or as posing a threat to the safety of others (e.g. Stacey Branning in East Enders).  Furthermore, 63% of references in TV soaps and dramas to people with mental health problems were 'perjorative, flippant or unsympathetic'.

I do hope there will soon come a time when this sensationalist and insensitive treatment of the subject of mental health is replaced by a more positive, balanced, realistic and factually accurate representation.

(Making a Drama Out of a Crisis - Shift - http://shift.org.uk/news/files/making-a-drama-glasgow-media-group-mental-health.html)

You can help fight the stigma associated with mental health problems by supporting organisations such as:

Stamp Out Stigma, Bring Change to Mind,  Time to Change

 

Comments

[Rosie Scribble]

Completely agree. I usually enjoy Silent Witness but I'm not sure what the scriptwriters were doing with this one. Very poor and extremely unhelpful.

[Frances]

Thanks for your comment Rosie. The scriptwriters seemed to touch on a whole range of issues they could have explored really effectively (e.g. burnout/stress in health professionals)and then bodge those, and make a real hash of what they did expand on! It will be interesting to see how Nicky's character is portrayed tonight i.e. will she still be 'depressed' or will she have miraculously recovered?!

[alfredo zotti]

I am both someone who suffers with a mental illness and an advocate for mental health.

We must not forget the fact that anti depressants can trigger violent behavior in young people. IN fact I tend to think that most violent acts are often fueled by drugs and alcohol.

Anti psychotic medication and anti depressants can trigger violence in perfectly peaceful and non violent people. This does not mean that we should not take medication when needed but that we have to be aware of this fact and people who take such medication should be monitored.

For many people there are alternatives to medication and I am one of these people who does not take medication. I control my symptoms with mindfulness and natural remedies including good nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise.

The writers of the show have pointed to a truth. For some people medication can lead to violent behavior. Naturally, not all people will become violent after taking medication but some will. It is a fact.

[alfredo zotti]

OF course this does not mean that all people who take SSRI will develop violent behavior. The majority will probably not. But there is a risk well documented by research.

For depression it is always better to try natural method first or alternatives. Medication is not always the right intervention particularly given that for depression medication is not as effective as previously thought. There is research on placebo and medication. The result is that there is not much difference between placebo and medication in the treatment of depression.

[Frances]

Many thanks for taking the time to make these comments Alfredo. I fully accept that SSRI's do carry a number of risks and that there is a link to violent behaviour in a minority of people. My issue with the programme was the sensationalist, and unbalanced way the subject was tackled as I felt it was so misleading. I am not an advocoate of medication across the board, and agree with you that natural methods are best for those who respond well to them. However, for those people who do not find natural methods are enough for them, or want to combine them with medication, I feel storylines like these can cause unecessary distress. As with any medication its so important that people are aware of the risks as well as the benefits and are making an informed decision and, as you say, they are monitored properly. Thanks again for your comments.